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The 27th annual Goodguys West Coast Nationals ends at 3 p.m. today at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
Presented by Goodguys of Pleasanton and Flowmaster Mufflers, this year’s event has been one of the biggest ever.
The cars have come to Pleasanton for nearly three decades, some traveling from as far away as the East Coast to take in the sights and sounds of this traditional summer time Tri-Valley event, said Harry Daviess, vice president of event operations for Goodguys.
Standing right alongside the Goodguys team as event organizers is the P-Town Pushrods car club. Founded locally by Rich Riley in 1994, the club has called Pleasanton home and served as host club for all Goodguys events at the Fairgrounds for the last 20 years. The club has more than 150 members based both here in the Tri-Valley and abroad, including in Australia and New Zealand.
Pushrods members have been working the car gates, organizing special parking areas, and staffing the club’s fundraising booth as well as helping the Goodguys team scout potential award winners.
“We always have a great time with Goodguys in Pleasanton,” said club member and liaison Doug Cabral of Tracy. “Being the official host club of the Goodguys West Coast Nationals allows us to stay active in the hobby, interacting with thousands of car guys as well giving back to the community.”
In addition to serving as host club for Goodguys, the P-Town Pushrods have their own activities. They escort Livermore Veterans Hospital patients to the Goodguys events and serve them lunch. Each spring, the Pushrods organize a mini car show and barbecue lunch at the hospital. In addition, the club donates funds to Hope Hospice, the National Cancer Society, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Center and other local Tri-Valley based charities.
This year’s show is special for Pushrod member Cabral, a retired warehouse manager and Vietnam Veteran who for the last decade has served as the main liaison to Goodguys. Last year, his drawing ticket won a customized 1971 Dodge Challenger, which was presented to him at the weekend show.
“The economy is rebounding and we’ve seen near record numbers at several events so far this summer,” Daviess said. “People love coming to Pleasanton because the the hotels are clean and close by, the restaurants are great and the Fairgrounds is one of the nicest in the country.
“We get some of the nicest cars in the country here,” he added. “It’s our ‘Crown Jewel’ event.”
The weekend event concludes with today’s award ceremony.
Event hours are 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. General admission is $18; youths 7-12, $6. Fairgrounds parking is $8. For more information, go to [http//www.good-guys.com www.good-guys.com] or call Goodguys at 838-9876.
This weekend not next weekend.
hope the police do extra patrol in the neighborhood surrounding the fairgrounds so we can have access to our driveways without 4 wheeling it off of curbs to leave our houses.